"Mr. Brown preached against excess of zeal. Everything was possible, he told his energetic flock, but everything was not expedient. And so Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith" (Achebe 178).
Part 1: According to the text(s), what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?
The word "imperialism" has a negative connotation. Upon hearing the word, people immediately thing of white men coming into to other countries and destroying the cultures of the indigenous peoples and pillaging their homes. In this chapter of Things Fall Apart, however, one imperialist had a very positive affect on the villagers. With him he brought to the town a trading store and and increased flow of money, reducing the cost of goods. While he did try to convert the clansmen, he was very respectful of them and did not want to force his beliefs onto anyone. It was his mission to gain more followers, but he did so with crushing the culture of the Igbo people. Also, unlike most imperialists, he tried to understand the beliefs and cultures of the people he was trying to convert. He was very careful to avoid being overly zealous and even met with the leaders of the clans to discuss religion and learn about why they believed what they did. While imperialism is usually seen as a negative thing, Mr. Brown is one rare example of how imperialism has the ability to help others.
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